Simple, clear, no-nonsense laws should be the norm for rough weather driving. These seven rules, though, may hurt more than they help.
7.) Driving too fast for conditions in the Evergreen State
It's too easy to abuse a justifiable rule about staying within the natural speed limit of the conditions, according to POD, who got a pointless ticket for it:
The only ticket I ever received was driving too fast for conditions. It was late fall in Washington State. There was a light layer of hoar frost on the apple trees and I was driving down into the Yakima Vally from the Heights. There was a family hauler going 45 in a 50 and I was late to school. I signaled, passed, and re-entered my lane legally. I got up to 57 in a 50, however it was (not sure if it still is) legal to go 10 over the speed limit to make a safe pass on a 2 lane country road. After I pull back in, I see lights.
The cop pulls me over and I get the standard "do you know how fast you were driving son?" from the mustachioed officer. I told him 45, then accelerated to pass safely and re-entered my lane safely. "I had you at 57". I said that sounds about right and told him that it is legal to go 10 over to pass safely. He looked at me sideways and said "I'm going to make an example of you, there was frost out this morning so I'm writing you a ticket for 'too fast for conditions'".
Totally arbitrary, there was no frost down in the valley. He as just pissed off that someone knew the law.
Suggested By: POD, Photo Credit: cruiznbye
6.) Wasting police time is mandatory in Arkansas
All car accidents have to be reported in Arkansas, as Chairman Kaga explains.
In Arkansas, if you have any sort of accident the police have to be called and someone has to be cited. No such thing as a "no fault accident".
Suggested By: Chairman Kaga, Photo Credit: cliff1066™
5.) The question of time in Canada
There's a problem with arbitrarily setting a date for mandatory winter tires, as Bonhomme7h explains.
In Quebec you are mandated to have winter tires from December 15 to March 15. Now everybody have a good excuse to be "surprised by winter" on the bottom of a ditch on bald summer tires the 26 of November.
Suggested By: Bonhomme7h, Photo Credit: meddygarnet
4.) Let's freeze together in Kansas City!
Scaggnetti explains that you can't leave your car running to warm up in Kansas City. But don't worry, it's for your protection.
Not being able to warm your car up in the driveway when it is below 0. In Kansas City the cops drive around in the morning and look for this. Then they knock on your door and give you a ticket for 150 buck. Total bullshit racket. The resoning is to prevent auto theft. Even if you have your doors locked running or with remote start. They ticket.
Sounds like a tax to me!
Suggested By: Scaggnetti, Photo Credit: conner395
3.) Alberta and its plowing issues
If you own a vehicle that can plow your sidewalk, you might not be able to use it, JohnnyWasASchoolBoy explains.
If you own a Quad with a blade, Gator with a blade, Skid-Steer, or any other non-licensed vehicle, you can get a $600 ticket if you get caught using that equipment to clear snow from your sidewalk. However we have a bylaw that says you must remove your snow within 48 hours or get a $150 ticket from the City.
People are getting tickets for being neighborly and clearing their entire block.
Suggested By: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy, Photo Credit: bossco
2.) Parking in the village of Chicago
It's illegal to streetpark in m's town, and that can lead to a total catch-22:
In my village it's illegal to park on the street on a day when more than 2 inches of snow has fallen. Seems sensible at first right? Keep the streets clear for the plow to come through. But what happens in the middle of the day when that plow finally does come through? He deposits a foot of snow at the entrance to your driveway. So when you come home from work, you have no way to drive in. Obviously you can't clear yourself a path (which will not be fast) from inside the car. But you can't get out of the car, because there's nowhere to legally park.
Suggested By: m, Photo Credit: TheDarkThing
1.) No grip in Motor City
The only thing worse than arbitrary dates for requiring snow tires on cars is not requiring snow tires at all, as Thoushalthoonthyrallyetyres explains.
That snow tires are not compulsory in the state of Michigan from the months of December through March. Seriously, they can write tickets for things that are incapable of causing other motorists harm (no seatbelt) but not for driving your car on summer tires, something that is very capable of causing deadly accidents.
Quebec enacted this law in 2008, and although 90% of drivers there already used snow tires, winter accident rates fell an average of 17% within two years, and accidents causing serious injury or death fell an average of 36%.
Suggested By: Thoushalthoonthyrallyetyres, Photo Credit: mjtmail (tiggy)
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: Robert S. Donovan